Aaron Hotchner's Big Day
by HotchRocks
Summary: Missing scene from Machismo, season 1. Hotch and his team are unexpectedly called to Mexico on a case. But on the return trip to Quantico, the team has plans of their own so their Unit Chief can celebrate the birthday he missed out on originally.


**A/N: This missing scene is based on the episode Machismo, season one. I know Gideon and Elle were in the original, but for this missing scene I had Rossi and Prentiss in it instead. I do not own CM or the characters of CM. They are the property of the Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios, and CBS Paramount Network Television.  
**

**Aaron Hotchner's Big Day**

The team knew what the day had been when they headed for Mexico. And they knew Rossi calling Hotch about the case that day had interrupted the special festivities for their Unit Chief which his wife and sister-in-law had planned for him. After all, who wanted to spend their important day solving a murder case in Mexico? The case had been somewhat difficult and had taken a few days to solve, but the UnSub eventually was killed, and the team could close the case. And now that it was, the team was not only en-route back home to Quantico, Virginia but could now carry out their plan.

The usually stoic Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner was seated in the back of the BAU jet going over the paperwork of the case they had recently closed; but found his mind kept wandering. Trying to concentrate on what he was reading for a few moments, Hotch's mind drifted back to a few days ago. He knew he would still be in deep trouble when he returned home because of all the work his wife Haley, and her sister Jessica had gone through preparing a family-only birthday party for him. He recalled the look his sister-in-law had given him when he was leaving to join the team. It was a look of utter annoyance; annoyance at him for choosing the team over his wife and all the work she had gone through to arrange his birthday party. He massaged his forehead and with a sigh returned to the folder in front of him and started reading again.

Morgan was wearing his headphones listening to jazz; Prentiss and JJ, sitting side-by-side and across from Morgan, were both reading magazines; Reid was seated beside Morgan reading a technical journal, and Rossi was seated in the back of the plane across the aisle from Hotch staring out of the window; but he really wasn't watching the clouds. He was watching his boss's reflection in the window. Seeing Hotch involved in the contents of the file, Rossi subtlety nodded his head at JJ and Emily who then gave an equally subtle sign to Morgan and Reid.

JJ and Prentiss put their magazines down on their seats and got to their feet. Prentiss walked towards the front of the jet where the kitchen area was while JJ made her way to the back of the jet and sat down beside her boss. Hotch looked around at the blond media liaison and noticed a strange look on her face. She seemed worried or troubled about something he didn't like seeing JJ upset or worried about anything. With her bright blue eyes, she continued looking at him. "Hotch, can I talk to you for a minute about something?"

"Something I can do for you, JJ?" he asked in his business-like manner.

"I'm not sure, Hotch," JJ replied with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, seemingly embarrassed. "I guess I'm sort of troubled."

Hotch, his curiosity peaked, closed the file in front of him and now gave his full attention to the blond woman. "Troubled about what?" he asked.

JJ shrugged. "This last case," she said. "I guess it bothers me how someone could murder the mothers of their rape victims like that. I mean, what possesses someone to do that?"

Morgan got to his feet as he removed his headset and sat it down on the seat he just vacated. He stepped over Reid's feet and into the aisle. A moment later, Reid also got to his feet and sat his book down in his vacated seat. Both agents went forward towards the kitchen area where Prentiss was busy filling six coffee ups which sat on a tray, periodically looking toward the back of the plane where Rossi, JJ and Hotch were. She knew Rossi was ready to intercede if need be.

Reid casually opened the top cabinet removing six saucers and a round platter. He then reached into a drawer and removed an equal number of forks and napkins, while Morgan opened the refrigerator and removed a box tied with a red and white string. Reaching into one of the cabinet drawers he grabbed a knife and cut the string while Reid handed him the round platter.

"Think he suspects anything?" Prentiss said in a low voice with a smile on her face, as she sat the sugar bowl and spoons on the tray.

"Hotch?" asked Morgan with a smirk. "He's preoccupied. Haley probably had something planned for his birthday when Rossi called him about the case and he's in her dog-house because he joined the team instead. And while I feel badly about him having to miss out on everything his wife had planned, my guess is he's thinking about facing her when he gets home. Trust me, he doesn't know." He carefully lifted the cake out of it's box and sat it on the platter, licking his fingertips after getting some icing on them. "Ummmm. Banana crème. Hotch's favorite. What kind of filling did you order?"

Prentiss sighed. "Actually JJ ordered the cake and got vanilla filling. She remembered being at a party for Hotch once and Haley had gotten him a cake with banana crème frosting and vanilla filling. She mentioned to JJ it was his favorite."

"Are we going to put candles on it?" Reid suddenly asked with child-like eyes.

Morgan and Prentiss looked at each others then stared at their young genius. "Candles?" asked a wide-eyed Morgan. "Reid, Hotch is not Jack's age. He's a grown man."

"I know that," Reid replied. "But how is he going to make a wish if he has no candles to blow out afterward? I mean, blowing out candles on one's birthday cake is a tradition."

"He's got a point, Derek," Prentiss said reluctantly.

"Okay…." Morgan replied as he searched through the drawers looking for candles. "Emily, I don't see any candles. Wait a minute…" he pulled out a single average-size candle. "Will this do?"

"Only one? That's all we have?" asked Reid.

"Look, the candles were your idea," Prentiss reminded the doctor. "Besides, one candle won't be that bad."

"Maybe not," Reid admitted as he watched Morgan sit the candle in the center of the cake.

Seeing everything was ready, Prentiss looked at Rossi who covertly looked at the trio and noticed her nodding. Nodding in response, Rossi pulled out his laptop, opened it, and turned it on. He briefly glanced across the aisle at Hotch and JJ. "Ready Garcia?" he asked quietly when the tech analyst's smiling face appeared on the screen.

"_Ready and eager to get started boss," _she replied.

Rossi slowly got to his feet and picking up the laptop, walked across the aisle, and stood leaning against the back of the seat on which JJ was sitting but making sure to keep Hotch facing him. He leaned over and sat the laptop down on the table between Hotch and JJ.

"Hotch, Garcia has something she wants to say to you as do the rest of us," the older agent said. Hotch looked up at his best friend, puzzled.

"What's wrong?" the Unit Chief asked. He then looked at Garcia's impassive face and immediately suspected something was up. "Garcia, what is it?"

"_Just this, sir…."_ she said with a wide smile. _"Happy birthday!"_

Hotch's eyebrows knitted together. "I don't understand. My birthday was a few days ago."

"We know," Rossi said with an amused grin. "We also know we left on this recent case on your birthday and never got a chance to celebrate it, and neither did you. So we decided to have a little something for you ourselves." As Rossi pointed, Hotch arched his eyebrows in surprise seeing Morgan holding a platter with a cake with a single candle in the center; Prentiss holding a tray with cups of coffee, sugar and milk, and Reid with forks, saucers, napkins, and a cake knife. They were all smiling broadly.

Hotch, try as he might, was unable to hide the amused grin on his face as he folded his arms and shook his head. He then glanced at the media liaison who, with a bright smile, moved the folder aside. "We wanted to do something for your birthday, Hotch," she said. "It wasn't fair you should have had to work on your birthday."

As Reid put the saucers and other things on the table, Morgan sat the cake in front of his boss. Prentiss handed the coffee tray to JJ who sat it on the side out of the way. Then, Hotch's entire team gathered closely around their leader.

"Happy birthday, Aaron," said Rossi. "From all of us."

"You guys are too much," Hotch admitted, touched by what they had done for him. Rossi quickly reached under the seat he had been sitting on and pulled out a bag, handing it to Hotch. "This is from me personally." Puzzled, Hotch looked inside and removed a bottle of twelve-year-old Scotch. He smirked at Rossi. "From my private stock," the older agent added, amused.

JJ reached overhead and opening a drawer, removed a flat 8.5 by 11.5 inch flat package; handing it to her boss. "This is from all of us."

Hotch felt the firmness of the package and wondered what it was. Tearing at the wrapping paper he opened the box and opening the tissue paper, found a plaque inside with the names of each of his team members engraved on it. But it was the words engraved above their names that touched his heart the most:

'_**My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me' -Henry Ford.**_

Hotch felt his eyes welling up but managed to blink the tears away before they fell.

Morgan, leaning over, lit the single candle.

"_Make a wish, boss-man," _said Garcia, her face beaming.

Hotch, feeling a bit embarrassed by all the attention, not to mention the effort his team had gone through arranging everything, closed his eyes for a moment making the only wish he felt he could before opening them and blowing out the lone candle to the applause of his team. He felt his cheeks turning a faint shade of crimson.

"What did you wish for, Hotch?" asked an inquisitive Reid.

Morgan gently slapped the back of the young doctor's head. "A person's not suppose to reveal what they wish for on their birthday, kid, because then it won't come true."

Hotch looked around at his team before picking up the cake knife and standing up. "It's okay. I don't mind telling you what my wish was, Derek," he began. He looked at each of his team members. "I wished that each of you would be and remain safe doing the work that we do, and that there will always be someone to look after each of you always, no matter where you are."

There was a long moment of silence as their boss's words touched each of them deeply letting each of them know the depth of their leader's feelings for them.

"_We wish the same for you, sir,"_ Garcia added. _"And many more."_


End file.
